Secondary clock



Nov.'1U, 1931. c. E. LARRABEE 1,830,762

SECONDARY CLOCK Filed Oct. 20. 1928 2 s eets-sheet -1 llulilc F IG .s

mawtoz ll lllalllL 1 III Nov. 10, 1931. c. E; LARRA'BEE 1,830,762

- "sEcoNDARY CLGCK I v Filed Oct. 20. 1922' I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedNov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? CLINTON E. LABRAIBEE, OFIBIN'GHAMTON', NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO INTERNATIONAL TIME RECORDINGCOMPANY OF NEW YORK, 01 ENDICOTT, NEW YORK, A UORPORA-.

TION OF NEW YORK snconnsny cnocn Application filed Uetober 20, 1928.

The present invention relates to an electrically operated clock and moreparticularly to a magnetically actuated secondary clock such as are usedin electric clock systems in which the secondary clocks are controlledby current impulses controlled by a master clock.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an electricallyactuated clock of very quiet operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a magnetically actuatedclock mechanism controlled by an armature moving in trans versedirection to the magnet field.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rolling armature for amagnet for controlling a clock mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth in theaccompanying specification and claims and shown in the drawings '29which show by way of illustration what is now considered to be apreferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: v

Fig. 1 is a rear view of the secondary clock;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a side view of the controlling de= vice for the clockmechanism;

Fig. 1 is a sectional view on line 4-4- of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the controlling device in another controllingposition.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view of part of the mechanism shown inFig. 5.

In Fig. 1 is illustrated the clock mechanism. It is mounted upon a frontplate 2 and a rear plate 3 connected with each other by cross rods 4.Upon the plate 1 are mounted two magnet cores 5 and their associatedmagnet coils 6. The hands of the clock are driven by the usual gearingfrom the ratchet wheel .7 which is actuated by magnets 6 as willbeexplained.

The ratchet wheel 7 is-actuated every minute and is fixed to a shaft 9journalled in the plates 2 and 3. At the opposite end of said shaft isfixed the minute hand 8. The usual well known gear train reduction isprovided between the minute hand 8 and the hour hand l tconsistin'gofthe gear 10 fixed to the shaft Serial No. 313,662.

9 meshing with the gear 11 fixed to a common shaft with gear 12 andjournalled in the front plate, the gear 12 meshing with gear 13 to whichthe hour hand bushing is attached. The gear ratio described is such thatone complete revolution of the minute hand will move the hour hand asuificient space to indicate one hour lapse. The actuation of theratchet wheel 7 may best be understood from Figs. 3 to 5. Upon bothsides of the magnet coils and pivoted to the frame 1 by studs 15 and 16(Fig. 1) are levers 17 and 18. Said leversare provided with enlargedholes 15 cooperating with the pivot studs so as to permit lateral aswell as arcuate movement of said levers. The play permitted in themovement of these levers is resiliently resisted by means of springs 19which are fixed to the levers at one end and at the other endto a clipheld by the pivot I by a rotatable shaft 22 on which is lined anarmature 23, said shafthaving fi'xed at each end thereof circular disks23 which rest on and are supported by plate 28, thus permitting arolling action when the :race of the ar mature carrying curved pin 27 isdrawn toward the flux field of the magnet. The action of the springs 19previously mentioned also serve to hold these disks 23 firmly againstthe plate 28. Thearmature and the upper end of the levers 17 and 18 arenormally held in the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of the spring 2 1fastened to bracket 25 and to the upperpart oflever 17 by means of pin26. In the middle of the armature 23 is fixed a curved pin 27 projectingthrough a hole in plate 28. This curved pin prevents the armature frombeing revolved on its shaft except at such time as when itmay be rolledto the left as shown in Fig' 3 on the plate 28.

' Uponthe shaft 29 is pivoted member 30 I v member 31 to be lowered andadvancing pawl member and fast to said plate. A coil spring 35 held in acompressed cond1t1on between the head of the'stud 32 and the pawl member31 causes said pawl member to resiliently engage the teeth of theratchet wheel 7 in order that said pawl will ratchet over the teeth whenmoved upwardly and engage said teeth to move the ratchet wheel 7 whenrestored downwardly. As may be seen from Fig. 5 the member is providedwith an irregular shaped slot 33 cooperating with a pin 34: which isfixed to the lever 17. The arcuate motion of the lever 17 thereforecauses the plate 30 and therefore the pawl 31 to move upward anddownward due to the cooperation 0 said pin and slot. It may be seen thatmember 30 therefore holds pawl member 31 in raised position as shown inFig. 5 when the lever 17 is moved in counterclockwise direction anduponthe restoring movement when said lever is moved in clockwise directionthe 'pawl member 31 will move downwardly engaging the ratchet wheel 7and shifting said ratchet a distance equivalent to the space of onetooth. To retain the ratchet wheel '7 in osition against the upwardratchet action of the pawl member 31 there is provided an impositive stodevice consisting of a spring-pressed ball 4 held in a cylindricalcasing 41 fixed to the front plate of the machine and held in cooeration with the ratchet wheel 7 by means 0 a spring 42.

When a current impulse is initiated by the master clock the magnet coil6 will be energized and armature 23 which is normally located to oneside of the center of the ma etic field will be drawn into this fieldand t e attraction being downward and toward the center of the magnetwill tend to pull the pin 27 downward together with the lower side ofthe armature. The result is both a force to displace the armature to theleft and to rotate said armature about its axis which finally isrevolved into a rolling motion which is facilitated by the'circular disk23 bearing on the flat plate 28. This result of motion displaces thelever 17 to the left raising the pawl member 31 by the slot and pinconnection causing said pawl to ratchet over one tooth. When the currentimpulse is interrupted and the magnets deenergized the arm is restoredto the right by spring 24 thus causing the paylvl t e ratchet wheel 7 aspreviously explained.

Thus with the impulses sent once every minute it will be seen that thesecondary movement will adyance the hands of the clock the equivalent ofone minute for each im ulse.

While there has been shown and escribed and pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied. to a single "modification itwill be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changesin the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operationmay be made by those scope of the following claims.

1. In a magnetically operated mechanism, a magnet, an armaturetherefore, a rotatable axis for supporting said armature, and means forsupporting said axis for both rotary and transverse motion of saidarmature.

2. In a magnetically operated mechanism, a ma net, an armature therefor,a rotatable axis or supporting said armature, rollable means forsupporting said axis and fixed means for supporting said movablesupporting means for both rotary and transverse movement of thearmature.

3. In a magnetically operated mechanism, a magnet, an armature therefor,a movable support for said armature and means controlled by the magnetfor laterally displacing said rollable supporting means into the fieldof the magnet.

4. In an electrically operated clock, a clock operating mechanism, amagnet, a rolling armature therefor and cam means operated in accordancewith the movements of said armature for actuating said clock operatingmechanism. f

5. In a magnetically operated mechanism, a ma et, a rotatably mountedarmature there or, means for said armature to roll transversely of themagnetic field when said magnet is energized.

. 6. In an electrically operated clock mechu anism, a magnet, arotatably mounted armature therefor, means controlled by said magnet foreffecting a rolling motion of said ar mature transversely of themagnetic field when said ma net is energized control said c ockmechanism ture.

7. In an electrically operated clock, a clock operatinglmechanism, amagnet, an armature therefor aving a rotatable and transversely movableaxial support and means cooperat- 1n said clock operating mec anism.

8. In an electrically operated clock, a clock operatingmechanism,'amagnet, an armature therefor, a rotatable and transversely movable axialsupport for said armature, a member pivotally mounted on said axialsupport and means cooperating with said pivotally mounted member foractuating said clock operating member.

by said armanet, an armature there or com rising a bar mounted oncircular disks, a p ate. provided with an aperture for su porting-saidcircular disks, means associate with said armature and cooperating withsaid aperture to causea rolling motion of said armature when themagnetis energized.

10. In an electrically operated clock, a magnet, an armature thereforecomprising a and means to 9. In an electrically o erated clock, a magbarmounted on a rotatable axis, circular disks for supporting said axis anda plate rovided with an aperture for supporting sai circular disks, aguide member associated with said armature and cooperating'with saidaperture to cause a rolling motion of said armature when the magnet isenergized.

-11. In an electrically operated clock, a clock operating mechanism, aframe member, a magnet mounted-thereon, a rolling armature controlledvby said magnet, a link member pivotally and slidably mounted on saidframe member and cooperating with said rolling armature, a pin and slotconnection associated with saidlink member for actuating said clockoperating mechanism.

12. In an electrically operated clock, a magnet, a rolling armaturetherefor, a plate for supporting said rolling armature and resilientmeans for holding said rolling armature firmly against said plate.

13. In an electrically operated, clock, a clock operatin mechanismincluding a pawl carrying mem er, a magnet, a rotating armaturetherefor, a link member cooperating with said armature, and a pincarried by said link and cooperating with a slot formed in said pawlcarrying member.

14. In a magnetically operated mechanism, a magnet, an armaturetherefor, and means supporting said armature to cause a simultaneouslytranslatory and rotary motion of said armature upon energization ordeenergization of said magnet.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

OLINTON E. LARRABEE.

